A2 GRAPHICS ESSAY

EDWARD YAU

A2 GRAPHICS ESSAY

How has contemporary graphic design been influenced from the past and

impacted the way we visually communicate?

Contemporary Graphic Design has evolved and changed over the century and has

been a vital influence in the way we communicate visually. Much of today‟s

innovative designs have been strongly influenced from past creations and artworks.

Graphics primarily has been used to communicate through, print in the form of

cover designs, commercial posters, logos and signs as well as digital website pages.

The design industry has changed dramatically through the past century, particularly

with growing technological advances and impacts from social and political

changes.

An investigation looking through influential graphic designers and research based

on the social and cultural impacts will provide a further understanding as to how

elements of contemporary graphic design appears how it is today, and how we

strongly use this art form to communicate our ideas. Looking at notable artists and

graphic designers in my research such as Alexander Rodchenko, Barbara Kruger

and Scott King will enlist an insight to how each of the designer‟s individual style of

work has been influenced from designs of the past and a comparison to one

another‟s work.

Visual graphics today have been derived from works that emerged within the

constructivism movement, where artwork was being created no longer for art sake,

but instead art was being created to solve a social purpose. Visual art and design

was meant to serve all people and be practical in its nature. Constructivist art took

place during the era of the Russian Revolution, artworks produced were state

controlled, and designs were created in a form to communicate serving as Russian

propaganda.

Scott King: Pink Cher 2008 Screen-print on canvas

The Russian Revolution took place from 1917, when the people and the government

wanted to change Russia‟s old ways of unfair class divide and ruling. Lenin wanted

to create a paradise for all, where the wealth produced by the people was equally

distributed amongst the people. Industrialisation and technological advances

brought upon change to the society, paintings that emerged in radical forms were

abandoned as well as the techniques used within traditional arts.

Constructivism was a movement that was active from 1915 to the 1940‟s. It was a

movement created by the Russian avant-garde, but quickly spread to the rest of

the continent. Constructivists challenged the idea of the work of art as a unique

commodity, explored more collective ways of working, and looked at how they

could contribute to everyday life through design, architecture, industrial production,

theatre and film. The phrase “Practicality married with beauty” was the main thrust

behind the constructivist ethos.

The constructivist style follows principles of complete abstraction and modernity,

themes are often geometric, experimental and rarely emotional. Objective forms

carrying universal meaning were far more suitable to the movement than subjective

or individualistic forms. Constructivist themes are also quite minimal, where the

artwork is broken down to its most basic elements. New media was often used in the

creation of works, which helped to create a style of art that was orderly. An art of

order was desirable at the time because it was just after WWI that the constructivist

movement arose, which suggested a need for understanding, unity and peace.

Much of the work of 20th century graphic designers results of from the artwork

produced in the Russian Revolution. An artist who has pioneered within this

movement is Alexander Rodchenko, with the style of works he produced based on

the practicality of art, often depicted in bold limited colours, strong lines and

geometric shapes. Rodchenko‟s influence has been pervasive enough that it would

be nearly impossible to single out all of the designers whose work he has influenced.

Constructivist Design: Posters

Alexander Rodchenko 1891-1956, was a Russian artist, sculptor, photographer and

graphic designer. He is renowned for fundamentally contributing and founding the

art movement of constructivism and Russian design. Much of Rodchenko‟s works

explores elements of sharp abstract lines and geometric shapes. This influence is

strongly depicted through his work, derived from the combination of structural

engineering and the way society was orderly regimented during the Russian

Revolution. Rodchenko‟s experimentation in this piece using photomontage was

inspired from earlier works of German Dadaists, this style of work developed

prominently in his poster designs and culminated during the time and was influential

in the form of Russian propaganda. Rodchenko‟s work being promoted at the time

effectively communicates to the society he was in and this is reflected in the angles

and lines in his pieces. Propaganda was there to serve as a purpose and persuade,

communication n with bold Russian text and shapes in the designs influenced

society to follow and obey the rules of the Soviet state.

From these pieces and the constructivist style he set pioneering in his designs, he has

influenced the creation of many designs of the 20th century. Rodchenko‟s style of

work has also influenced penguin book designs, elements of the constructivist style

and aspects of Rodchenko‟s pieces is reflected within 70s book design. The designs

for the Penguin book covers „Animal Farm‟ and „1984‟ by George Orwell show

similarities to the works of Rodchenko, using the strong bold lines and using the

colour red and monochrome tone of colours reflects aspects of the themes and

ideas of the books. The context of these stories has a connection of political control

and link to the time and culture of Rodchenko‟s life during the Soviet Revolution in a

controlled state and having to follow a regimented way of life.

Rodchenko photomontage of 1924 for a Moscow publisher in which Lilya Brik, the muse of the poet Vladimir Mayakovsky, joyously cries out ‘books’

Design for an advertisement for the Moscow agricultural industry cafeteria 1923.

More modern and contemporary designs have also taken influences using similar

compositions and elements and principles from constructivist design. Rodchenko‟s

work has also influenced modern CD cover designs and posters, here a cover has

been influenced for the band „Franz Ferdinand‟, taking strong influence from

Rodchenko‟s photomontage and design work.

Rodchenko‟s work has also had a big impact in influencing modern designers and

artists working today with the design website „Obey‟ which is heavily influenced by

Russian Constructivism and the style of Rodchenko‟s work. The works on this site

strongly reflects ideas of social change and communicate political concepts to the

viewer. Designers such as Shepard Fairey have developed contemporary approach

reflecting the principles followed and depicted by the constructivist design.

1970s Book Designs

Obey US election campaign prints by Shepard Fairey

In relation to my own work I feel there are also influences present in my works

descended from Rodchenko‟s pieces. Referring to him as one of my artists I have

created zine images that communicate to an audience applying elements and

principles of constructivist design and strong aspects of his works. I‟ve used ideas of

shapes and geometric lines and symmetry which are presented within the

composition of his pieces. This placement of bold lines in my sequences work has

been influenced and derived from Rodchenko‟s style of work.

Contemporary Graphics today continues to be influenced from designs created in

the past, Alexander Rodchenko has had a big influence to many artists and

designer with the visual impact of their work and the way this can be used to

communicate ideas to an audience. An artist who has taken strong influence from

his work into her renowned designs is the graphic designer Barbara Kruger.

Barbara Kruger born in 1945 is an American conceptual artist. Much of her work

consists of text overlaying black and white photographs; these declarative captions

„in white on red‟ are placed. Phrases that she often uses seem subliminal and direct

to the audience. Her work engages this merging of found photographs from existing

sources, and re-contextualizing them with captions that often conveys a theme of

struggling power and control. Kruger‟s work has been influenced strongly from the

designs of Rodchenko in similarly using photomontage in her work and applying text

communicating her conceptual ideas to the viewer.

Zine Page (Food) Daily Sequences

Untitled (I shop therefore I am) 1980 Your Body is a Battleground 1980

In Kruger‟s designs, she uses a distinctive theme of monochrome photographs and

duo tone of „red‟ and „white‟ overlaying text creates an confrontational

atmosphere towards the viewer, using this colour pallet and symmetry within the

composition of her designs has been influenced from Soviet Russian constructivist

design and elements of Rodchenko‟s work. Kruger‟s designs also present

conceptual themes and ideas which she has developed, using simple informative

text in this manner within her work has influenced aspects to the way we visually

communicate.

Within these pieces there are themes and ideas based from control and order,

consumerism, Kruger communicates to the viewer using words in her designs such as

„Your‟ and „I‟ which captivates an audience to engage with her designs. There are

strong links to the ideas of instructive and subliminal messages in the context of her

work. Kruger‟s designs emerged during the 80s, her works also being influenced from

substantial pop art movement artists of the time such as Andy Warhol and from

conceptual artists such as Jenny Holzer. Barbara Kruger‟s work during the time and

culture has led to also be a wide influence to today‟s contemporary style of graphic

design, her work has influenced many commercial advertisements and promotional

designs in a way to communicate to consumers and grab our attention.

With influence from these pieces, companies market ideas and trends through

commercial graphics in reference to Kruger‟s style of conceptual text and

minimalist design. An example would be from promotional advertising by the

clothing company „Diesel‟ and their „Be Stupid‟ campaign.

In relation to my work I have referred to Kruger‟s designs emphasizing the placing of

the text to communicate with the viewer. In my piece for the zine I have kept the

design simple and have used a monochrome photocopies linking back to the style

of Kruger‟s work. There are influences in which the viewer similarly reads into the

piece that I have created engaging with the image with the text with Kruger‟s

works I have explored in my research.

Be Stupid’ Diesel Campaign

Using text work and phrasing to entice and communicate with the viewer has

strongly influenced aspects of contemporary graphic design, the work of Barbara

Kruger particularly has influenced more contemporary designers today creating

promotional posters, covers and spreads and advertising. Her work has also lead

graphic design to become more versatile in its form and its visual impact towards

the viewer. A graphic designer whose contemporary design work consists of similar

influences derived from aspects Kruger‟s work is Scott King.

Scott King trained as a graphic designer. He worked as Art Director of i-D and

Creative Director of Sleazenation magazines, for which he was awarded 'Best

Cover' and 'Best Designed Feature of the Year' prizes. His contemporary design work

is versatile in its nature and focuses on communicating his ideas and captivating an

audience. King‟s works in these pieces depict bold black text against a bright

backdrop, the between this and the positioning of the words grabs the attention of

a viewer, there are also elements of humour presented through the phrasing of

these messages in the pieces. These works have a strong visual impact to the viewer

presented with a contemporary approach to the style of the work, there are

influences using bold and direct language from the works of Kruger and from other

designers work based in today‟s society.

Zine Page (Food) Daily Sequences

The Agony (Twice) 2008 Screen print

In relation to my work from looking at King‟s designs, I feel there are influences

gained from his more refined contemporary designs which have been derived from

earlier graphics artists. Linking Scott King as one of my artists I have created pieces

reflecting my routine in the style that communicates to an audience with influences

from aspects of his simple contemporary designs.

By looking at the designer Scott King and today‟s contemporary style of graphic

design, comparing the styles of work of the artists and looking at their individual

influences there has been a strong change to the way graphics of today has

developed from the past, with the influences of designs primarily emerging from

Russian Constructivism.

In contrast to looking at the influences of Alexander Rodchenko, Barbara Kruger

and Scott King, contemporary graphic design has also been influenced from many

other routes and derived from other art movements such as Dadaism, Futurism and

Bauhaus Typography. Graphic design has strongly developed on the basis of early

experimentation of artists experimenting through a range of visual mediums

involving collaging, illustration, photography, printing and typography. Typography

alternatively has also brought a strong influence to fundamental aspects of graphic

design. Modern graphic typefaces has been influenced from the work of late 20th

century designers, with designs inspired from such experimental typographers Neville

Brody and David Carson.

Temporary Eyesore 2008

Development Piece Sequences

Another strong aspect to consider to how graphics appears now in today‟s context

is through the advances in technology. It wasn‟t until the late 1970s where graphic

design moved on from traditional methods of printing and letterpress creating

designs to be developed so graphics could be created digitally using computers

and advanced editing design software. From this the style of work produce

changed with a larger range and brighter colours primarily being introduced into

designs, where before only a limited range of colours were used to reserve costs of

mass printing.

The advances in technology has also meant that new techniques creating effects

and vectors could be introduced, the creation of digital typography and

developments of applying brushes and textures meant that modern designs

appeared more experimental. Creating contemporary graphics on a digital format

has meant that artists gained a wider range of influences looking at past designs

appearing world wide on the web instead of following a specific art movement and

visiting to specific places.

Comparing the works of my artists and their styles of designs, although there are

differences in the styles of each of the pieces, I think there is a prominent link to the

influenced gained from each others work and of events in society and of the time.

Rodchenko‟s work has had a big impact to many of the designs we see today, this

has been reflected through the style of his work within the constructivist movement

during the Russian Revolution. Kruger‟s work has been influenced from the work of

Rodchenko similarly adapting to techniques and principles, her work presented

strong concepts and visually influenced an alternative approach in communicating

messages and ideas to the viewer. Her style of work has had a large influence to

promotional designs and contemporary designs, as presented in the work of Scott

King. His pieces reflect aspects of today‟s society and captivate elements of

Kruger‟s text work and effectively visually impacting the viewer using simple design.

Overall I think that there has been a strong influence to these artists looking back to

the past, it is reflected in their work, which continues to be influential to modern

designs of today through campaigns, promotional posters, and advertising.

David Carson Typography

In conclusion, it can be agreed that works from the past have had a large influence

to the works of today‟s contemporary designs and have enhanced the way artists

and designers visually communicate their ideas within their artworks. Looking at the

artists Alexander Rodchenko, Barbara Kruger, and Scott King comparing the

influences depicted in their work from one another and exploring the society and

culture of Russian constructivism, in addition to the influences today, show that

Contemporary Graphic design has been captivated and strongly influenced from

the works of the past and has enhanced the way we communicate in today‟s

society. I feel this has also been reflected within my work, where I have largely

gained influences from these artists and designers, the composition and visual

appearance of my designs where it has derived from constructivist art style and

developed with a contemporary twist. Graphic design today has continued to

strongly impact the viewer in the way we visually communicate our ideas.

Bibliography

-YouTube Video [Constructivism]

-http://obeygiant.com/

-http://www.arthistoryguide.com/Constructivism.aspx-

-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Rodchenko-

-http://www.scottking.co.uk/

-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara Kruger

-http://www.designhistory.org/20thC.html

-http://www.famouslogos.org/famous-graphic-designers

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